Fatherhood
by AgentOfAngst
Summary: Set in season three of the Tangled show, Lance gets visited by an old ex-girlfriend and finds out he has a son, immediately being thrust into the overwhelming world of fatherhood.


**I didn't know if I would ever enter the Tangled Series fandom because I find it easier to write in more modern settings than fantasy pasts, so I was mainly just waiting for the right story, and this one felt like a good place to start. **

**Spoilers for season 3.**

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Chapter 1

"Eugene, come here, I need your help," Lance called his friend into his room, looking freaked out.

"I'm not going to steal something for or with you. Even if it's technically stealing back. Even if it's an unclaimed treasure. Do you remember the curse we released with the Herz Der Soone thing? Unclaimed treasure should be carefully researched."

"First of all, you have gotten so boring and domesticated since you started going by Eugene again, second of all, the Herz Der Soone thing was kind of Rapunzel's fault."

"Fair point, but I'm not boring, I'm just not a thief anymore!"

"Boring. And I'm not asking you to help me steal something I'm asking you to arrest me."

"Pardon?"

"My ex-girlfriend, who I haven't seen since before prison, apparently heard that my new pad was a palace. This girl is a totally sketchy gold digger and I do not want to deal with explaining my current situation because I'm too poor to get back with a sketchy gold digger. So I was thinking that it would be an idea if you imprison me in the palace dungeon until she gets here and leaves and we'll just explain that it was a big misunderstanding."

"You said that it was an idea and not a good idea and I think that's extremely relevant."

"I'm not trying to oversell it. So? What do you think?"

"It's very elaborate and honestly, for you, a bit pathetic."

"You would do the same if it was Stalyan."

"I dealt with Stalyan!"

"Rapunzel dealt with Stalyan."

"...That's… That's fair. Why don't you go to Rapunzel for advice? I'm not really allowed around the palace dungeon anymore. Might have liberated too many thugs who had a dream."

"Listen, Eugene, it's far too late to get your girlfriend to come up with a good idea. So we're going with you. I just need you to hide me before she gets here-"

"Lance! Lance where are you? I just got word that you have guests!" Rapunzel's voice filled the castle and Lance fainted straight away, leaving Eugene to puzzle over the statement.

"Guests?" He mused to himself. It became clear soon enough what "guests" meant.

"Is he dead?" Lance looked into the eyes of a little boy and chuckled, projecting fearlessness. Oddly enough, he saw Eugene pacing outside of the open door.

"No, no, don't worry, I'm okay."

"Cool! I'm Henry!" The boy said with a grin.

"That's a really great name. It might be the best name I've ever heard. You must be really cool, Henry. My name is Lance Strongbow." Eugene kept poking his head in and then going back out to pace.

"That's a cool name too!" Henry was in awe.

"I knew he would like you," Lance jumped back. He hadn't seen her in the corner.

"Oh! Natalia. What a nice surprise."

"Did you get my letter?"

"Yes, I got your letter this morning! That you were coming this morning! Oh, Henry, don't touch that, that's a real blade, it will hurt you. You can play with this." He handed the little boy a wooden practice sword and Henry began practicing against the air. Lance instinctively started putting the sharp, dangerous stuff out of reach. Eugene stood in the doorway now and just watched.

"You're already so good with him."

"It's nice to see you again, and meet your son." Eugene couldn't watch. Back to pacing.

"Our son." Lance stopped what he was doing and sunk down on his bed.

"W-what? Our son? I… I'm a dad? I have a son?"

"Yes. Before you got sent to prison. He's seven." Seven. Oh wow. He had a kid when he was 18. Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow. He needed to sit down. Wait, he was sitting down.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You were in prison, Lance."

"Yeah, that's valid. Henry, come here, please." Lance requested. The seven-year-old hurried over with a grin on his face. Lance gently held Henry by the shoulders and looked him over. The resemblance was obvious, Henry looked more like Lance than Natalia, Lance had just ignored it before, perhaps too scared to make the connection.

"You can keep that sword, Henry."

"Really? Awesome!" Henry suddenly threw his arms around Lance. Lance hugged back without thinking, his heart melting. Oh my goodness. He'd had a kid when he was 18 with a girl he didn't love, but he couldn't love this kid more.

"I'm glad you finally told me, Natalia. I'll try to be more involved in his life, I mainly work for room and board but I'll get a second job to help you support him. I'm sorry I used to be the kind of man you couldn't share a child with."

"Lance, Lance, slow down. I just wanted you to meet him. Perhaps you can show him around Corona, get to know him, and perhaps we could stay the night and go back home in the morning."

"Of course you can stay the night! We'll have a dinner in your honor!" Rapunzel broke in now, having stayed more inconspicuous in her eavesdropping than Eugene.

"Wow! Your hair is so long!" Henry complimented.

"It's even longer when it's unbraided. I'll have to show you sometime. I'm Rapunzel, and it's so nice to meet you both."

"I"m Henry and this is my mama and this is my papa even though I just met him!" Eugene and Lance felt the lonely pang of heartache. Growing up fatherless was a familiar feeling.

"I'm your Uncle Eugene." Eugene held his hand out for a handshake.

"That's a weird name," Henry laughed, and Lance snickered.

"A little bit, Henry. It's not as cool as our names, but your uncle is pretty cool anyway." That was enough for Henry, soon Eugene was getting his own heart-melting hug. Lance smiled down at Henry, then shared a glance with Natalia. She glanced away.

"Do you want to join us in Corona, Natalia?"

"No, it was a long journey and I'd like to rest, if possible."

"Feel free to sleep in my room. I can sleep elsewhere tonight."

"Thank you, Lance." Lance offered a hand to his son, and the four of them left.

Henry hung onto Lance's hand, occasionally running ahead and getting pulled back by his papa. Lance still couldn't get over it. He was a dad! How could he be a dad and not have a dad?

Eugene was also in a state of shock. This reminded him far too much of meeting his own dad for the first time. Fortunately, this was going better than that. Eugene had been more reluctant to trust his father than Henry seemed to be, and Lance was a caring, although already overprotective dad.

Lance treated Henry to pastries from Attila, and when he noticed how ragged his son's clothes were, they remedied that as well. Every now and then the otherwise brave little boy would see something that spooked him and he would tighten his grip on Lance's hand. When the sun began to set, and his son became sleepy, Lance cradled the boy against his chest all the way back to the palace. The soft breathing of his child made Lance breathe easier as well. Everything was okay.

He almost resented handing Henry back to Natalia at the end of the evening. Letting her carry him to bed, letting her tuck him in, knowing that she intended to leave in the morning, taking a piece of his heart with her.

"Stay a little longer. I still have things I want to show him. Things I want to do."

"I can't stay, Lance. I'm sorry."

Eugene made his friend a place on the floor, feeling sympathy for the heartbroken man.

"You're going to see him again," Eugene promised.

In the middle of the night, Lance was woken up to knocking and crying. He immediately pulled Henry into his arms, checking for danger or injury.

"What's wrong?!"

"Mama's disappeared!" Henry sobbed. Lance nearly dropped the child in shock.

"What?!"


End file.
